This application is relevant to a co-pending patent application serial entitled xe2x80x9cPULL TAB FOR EXTRACTING ELECTRICAL CONNECTORxe2x80x9d, invented by Chia-Ming Kuo et al., and assigned to the same assignee of the present application.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an extraction tab, and more particularly, to an extraction tab for extracting an electrical connector from a mating electrical device which mates with the electrical connector.
2. Description of Prior Art
To comply with the current trend of light weight and compactness, many electrical devices tend to employ small connectors for transmitting signals. These connectors need to mate tightly with corresponding devices for transmitting signals reliably, which usually requires a great amount of applied force to extract these connectors from these devices when there is necessary to replace these connectors with other connectors for different applications. Their separation is normally accomplished by manually shaking the connectors (or perhaps with prying tools) when the connectors are pulled away from the devices. However, the shaking action to the connectors inevitably bends the contacts of the small connectors and damages the connectors and/or the devices. It is also difficult to manually pull a connector having a very small size.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,256 discloses a conventional extraction tool. To separate an electrical connector from an electrical device, the extraction tool is inserted between the electrical connector and the electrical device. The tool is relatively thick so that it cannot be used for the present miniature electrical connector since there is no space large enough between the connector and the electrical device to accommodate the tool.
Japanese Publication for Laid-Open Patent Application No. 11-208461 discloses another conventional extraction tool for extracting an L-shape connector from a mating device. The L-shape connector includes a mating portion and a retaining portion extending perpendicularly from the mating portion for retaining a cable. The extraction tool defines an aperture surrounded by a peripheral portion for engaging with a mating portion of the connector. The peripheral portion exerts an extracting force on the mating portion when the connector is extracted. However, the extraction tool is assembled with the connector only by the aperture receiving the mating portion of the connector, after the connector is extracted from the mating device, the extraction tool easily falls from the connector.
Hence, an improved extraction tool is desired to overcome the disadvantages of the prior arts.
The main object of the present invention is to provide an extraction tab for extracting an electrical connector from a mating electrical device with reliably assembling to the electrical connector.
An extraction tab in accordance with the present invention is used to extract an electrical connector from a mating electrical device. The electrical connector comprises a mating portion and a retaining portion extending perpendicularly from the mating portion for retaining a cable.
The extraction tab includes an engaging portion and a handling portion. The engaging portion has a bottom section and a top section. The bottom section has an engaging hole for engaging with the mating portion of the electrical connector. The top section includes a first plate and a second plate connected with each other. The handling portion extends from the bottom section for receiving an extracting force for extracting the electrical connector from the mating electrical device.